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Season on the up for Barnes-Miller after para snowboard World Cup bronze

on 02-12-2017 16:45

It’s been a turbulent start to the season for James Barnes-Miller but things finally seem to be on the up after he secured a maiden World Cup medal of the campaign with bronze in the para snowboard cross.

The 28-year-old had £10,000 worth of equipment stolen in October before finishing seventh and sixth at the Banked Slalom World Cup – the first event of the season – in November.

Barnes-Miller missed out on the podium in the first race in Pyha, Finland, on Friday, reaching the quarter-finals, but was quick to make amends in the second upper limb impairment 1 event of the weekend.

Having failed to make the gold medal race, losing to eventual champion Michael Minor of the USA, the Brit faced Andrew Genge in the battle for bronze, beating the Canadian over the line to clinch the medal.

And despite enjoying a less than ideal start to the Paralympic season, Barnes-Miller couldn’t have been more delighted to finally take his place on the podium.

“I’m absolutely buzzing for my first medal of the season,” he said.

“I had a lot to work on after Friday, so I’m happy I got everything figured out.

“I’m really glad I got a medal and it’s all down to everyone who has helped me out after getting all my equipment stolen.”

Elsewhere, Owen Pick couldn’t make it a second medal in as many days as he came up just short in the small final of the men’s cross lower limb 2 impairment 2.

Pick won bronze on Friday but missed out on the same colour to Matti Suur-Hamari as the Finnish snowboarder crossed the line first.